1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a skin adhesion apparatus and a skin adhesion method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known apparatus for adhering a skin onto a surface of a core material is shown in FIG. 6.
An adhesion apparatus 100 as shown in FIG. 6 includes an upper mold half 102 and a lower mold half 104. The upper mold half 102 and the lower mold half 104 is arranged to clamp the core material 106 and the skin 108 laid on the core material 106 so that the skin 108 is adhered to a surface of the core material 106.
With the skin adhesion apparatus 100, first, a core material 106 is set on the lower mold half 104. Next, adhesive 107 is applied to an upper surface of the core material 106 or a lower surface of the skin 108. Next, the skin 108 is placed on the upper surface of the core material 106. Next, the upper mold half 102 is pulled down so that the core material 106 and the skin 108 are clamped between the upper mold half 102 and the lower mold half 104. Thus, the skin 108 is pressed against the surface of the core material 106 and firmly adhered thereto.
With the skin adhesion apparatus 100, however, the shape of a mold surface 102a of the upper mold half 102 is necessary to exactly fit the surface shape of the core material 106. Accordingly, the shape of the mold surface 102a of the upper mold half 102 have to be changed in every case where any slight change is made in the surface shape of the core material 106. Accordingly, it is a problem that much cost is required when changing the shape of the core material 106.
Also with the skin adhesion apparatus 100 as shown in FIG. 6, when the upper mold half 102 is pulled down, a horizontal portion 102a1 of the mold surface 102a moves perpendicularly with respect to a corresponding portion of the skin 108, and therefore the horizontal portion 102a1 can evenly press the corresponding portion of the skin 108. A vertical portion 102a2 of the mold surface 102a, however, moves parallel with respect to a corresponding portion of the skin 108, and therefore the vertical portion 102a2 cannot evenly press the corresponding portion of the skin 108. Furthermore, it is also a problem that the vertical portion 102a2 rubs the surface of the corresponding portion of the skin 108, which exerts an undesirable influence for the appearance of the skin 108.
The other skin adhesion apparatuses are described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication 11-105120 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication 1-195021.
The skin adhesion apparatus disclosed in each of these publications has a film member made of elastic material such as rubber. The film member is arranged to be filled with fluid such as water, air, or the like, thereby pressing the skin against the core material with the fluid pressure.
When the film member disclosed in each of these publications is filled with fluid, however, the film member is seriously inflated downwardly at the central portion thereof. The portion inflated downwardly therefore causes a first contact with the skin. In this case, simultaneous application of the fluid pressure on the entire surface of the skin is impossible, and therefore it is difficult to evenly adhere the skin to the surface of the core material.